Systems and methods for generating three-dimensional medical images using ray tracing

Abstract

Techniques for generation of three-dimensional (3D) medical images. The techniques include: receiving, via at least one communication network, image data obtained by at least one medical imaging device; generating, using ray tracing, the 3D medical image based on the image data obtained by the at least one medical imaging device; and outputting the 3D medical image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for generating a three-dimensional (3D) medical image, the system comprising:
 a mobile computing device comprising at least one computer hardware processor; and   at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer hardware processor, cause the mobile computing device to perform:
 receiving, via at least one communication network, image data obtained by at least one medical imaging device; 
 generating, using ray tracing, the 3D medical image based on the image data obtained by the at least one medical imaging device; and 
 outputting the 3D medical image. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one medical imaging device comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, and wherein receiving the image data comprises receiving MRI data obtained by the MRI device while imaging a subject. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein outputting the 3D medical image comprises displaying the 3D medical image on the mobile computing device, transmitting the 3D medical image to a second device external to the mobile computing device for viewing by a user of the second device, and/or saving the 3D medical image to a memory of the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions comprise JAVASCRIPT and/or GL SHADING LANGUAGE instructions for generating the 3D medical image using ray tracing. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the generating is performed by executing the JAVASCRIPT and/or GL SHADING LANGUAGE instructions on a web browser executing on the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the generating is performed in response to receiving at least a portion of the image data. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein performing the ray tracing comprises:
 generating at least one ray;   determining values for at least one characteristic at locations along the at least one ray ray; and   generating a pixel value based on the determined values for the at least one characteristic at the locations along the at least one ray.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the mobile computing device to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) for viewing the 3D medical image, wherein the GUI is configured to allow a user to provide an input indicative of a change to be made to the 3D medical image. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the mobile computing device to generate, using ray tracing, an updated 3D medical image in response to receiving the input provided by the user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing device is battery-powered. 
     
     
         11 . A method for generating a three-dimensional (3D) medical image comprising:
 receiving, with at least one computer hardware processor of a mobile computing device via at least one communication network, image data obtained by at least one medical imaging device;   generating, using the at least one computer hardware processor to perform ray tracing, the 3D medical image based on the image data obtained by the at least one medical imaging device; and   outputting the 3D medical image.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one medical imaging device comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, and wherein receiving the image data comprises receiving MRI data obtained by the MRI device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein outputting the 3D medical image comprises displaying the 3D medical image on the mobile computing device, transmitting the 3D medical image to a second device external to the mobile computing device for viewing by a user of the second device, and/or saving the 3D medical image to a memory of the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the generating is performed by executing, with the at least one computer hardware processor on a web browser executing on the mobile computing device, JAVASCRIPT and/or GL SHADING LANGUAGE instructions for generating the 3D medical image using ray tracing. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising generating a graphical user interface (GUI) for viewing the 3D medical image and being configured to allow a user to provide an input indicative of a change to be made to the 3D medical image, wherein the method further comprises generating, using ray tracing, an updated 3D medical image in response to receiving the input provided by the user. 
     
     
         16 . At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon executable instructions that, when executed by at least one computer hardware processor of a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to perform:
 receiving, via at least one communication network, image data obtained by at least one medical imaging device;   generating, using ray tracing, a three-dimensional (3D) medical image based on the image data obtained by the at least one medical imaging device; and   outputting the 3D medical image.   
     
     
         17 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one medical imaging device comprises a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, and wherein receiving the image data comprises receiving MRI data obtained by the MRI device. 
     
     
         18 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein outputting the 3D medical image comprises displaying the 3D medical image on the mobile computing device, transmitting the 3D medical image to a second device external to the mobile computing device for viewing by a user of the second device, and/or saving the 3D medical image to a memory of the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions comprise JAVASCRIPT and/or GL SHADING LANGUAGE instructions for generating the 3D medical image using ray tracing, and the generating is performed by executing the JAVASCRIPT and/or GL SHADING LANGUAGE instructions on a web browser executing on the mobile computing device. 
     
     
         20 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the mobile computing device to generate a graphical user interface (GUI) for viewing the 3D medical image and being configured to allow a user to provide an input indicative of a change to be made to the 3D medical image, wherein the executable instructions further cause the mobile computing device to generate, using ray tracing, an updated 3D medical image in response to receiving the input provided by the user.